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family · Wednesday 1 July 2026 · 10:00am 
Castletown House - Family Tours and Activities
At Castletown House · Castletown, Celbridge, Co. Kildare
At Castletown House · Castletown, Celbridge, Co. Kildare
Ireland’s largest Palladian mansion opens its doors to families every summer, and a guided tour here is one of the most genuinely absorbing half-days you can spend in Kildare. Castletown House was built in the 1720s for William Conolly, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and the scale of ambition is still visible in every room. This is not a dry museum experience - the guides know the family stories and bring the house to life for all ages. It suits families with children roughly aged five and up.
Guided tours run hourly and last around 45 to 60 minutes inside the house. The standout rooms are the Long Gallery - a 24-metre first-floor room hung with Murano glass chandeliers - and the print room, the only fully intact 18th-century print room surviving in Ireland. The staircase with its brass balustrades and the ornate stucco plasterwork by the Lafranchini brothers are worth slowing down for too.
Once you are done inside, the 540 acres of parklands are free to roam. The main avenue runs from the house towards the Conolly Folly in the distance; in the other direction stands the Wonderful Barn, a corkscrew-shaped tower built in 1743, with external stairs that spiral around the outside. Children tend to love both. There is a Courtyard Café on site for a break, and the riverside meadows are good for a picnic if the weather holds.
Celbridge is around 20 kilometres west of Dublin city centre. By car, take the N4 or N7 and follow signs for Celbridge; the estate entrance is well signposted from the village. There is free parking on site. By bus, Dublin Bus route 67 runs from the city centre to Celbridge in around 45 minutes; the house is a short walk from the village stop.
The village itself sits on the River Liffey, and Castletown is only one reason to come. There is more to see in Celbridge and across Co. Kildare.
Heading to Castletown House in Celbridge? Kildare has plenty more to see. Read the Celbridge area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.